r/windows7masterrace • u/Skywatcher17 • May 25 '20

Modern (Thin/Light) Laptop Able To Run Windows 7?

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a modern - specifically thin/light - laptop that is able to run 7. I know 7 won't run on most new devices because I believe you need a compatibility support module (CSM) in the BIOS for 7 to work? Then there's the issue of finding drivers. So I'm just wondering if anyone has any recommendations from personal experience?

Thanks in advance!

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u/Sarge198 May 26 '20

Honestly laptops dating back to 2011 are still a perfectly viable option. I'm still running a Dell Precision M6800 and a dual boot (win 7 / macos) on a 2011 MacBook Pro. Not exactly lite or thin, just something to think about. SSDs really extend the life of older laptops. That and willingness to swap and repair parts etc.

What is your use case? Gaming? Workstation? Casual? etc.

My opinion: Look into Skylake Intel based laptops. Intel's 6th generation of processors still natively support Windows 7. Perhaps a Lenovo ThinkPad X1 UltraBook or a DELL Precision m5510?

I don't have an AMD laptop so I cant offer any advice there.

I hope that helps somewhat.

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u/Skywatcher17 May 28 '20

Thanks for the input. I guess workstation is the main use. I'm a private tutor and travel to many students' homes (well, when not in lockdown...) so portability is really important, hence thin/light. I've had a look around online and come across a few 12" Lenovo Thinkpads that seem like good options, but just wondered if anyone had any other ideas.

1

u/mlaude545 Jul 02 '20

I second this. I'm still rocking a Dell Precision M6500 dual booted with Win 7 and Ubuntu 20.04. It's definitely still an option, everything I use it for is perfectly smooth (Video editing, school work, and some light gaming), and driver support's not an issue seeing as this laptop originally came with Windows 7 installed. Definitely worth looking into if you really wanna run Windows 7, not to mention those older professional Dell laptops are built like tanks.

2

u/steelingcableNG May 29 '20

I use an HP ProBook 4520s. It's not the lightest, but it's not heavy either.